


Collection of Time Canary Drabbles

by hcourageous



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV) RPF
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Smut, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-09-24 05:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9705572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hcourageous/pseuds/hcourageous
Summary: Collection of Time Canary prompts and drabbles from tumblr





	1. Almost

Prompt: I know that you possibly will not use. But I read that you asked about some time canary prompts and I want try one^^. (Sorry, my english mistakes) // My prompt: "Sara see Rip for first time, he didn't remember her but he feels fascinated about her when Rip's see Sara fighting like a ninja"

 

\- -

Almost

\- -

When he first saw her, in that fur coat, calling the name of the imaginary character in his film, he thought he was seeing an angel. She might have been the most singularly beautiful woman he ever saw. He was also aware of the fact she looked exactly how he envisioned Sandra, the hero of his film. The one to always pull Rip Hunter back from the edge, the heart and soul of the team, the one who befriended thief, arsonist, goddess, scientist, mechanic, inventor–and wayward, lost, broken captain.

In a few fleeting moments of terror, she swung down towards him, towards the two terrifying men that had confronted him. She whirled and spun and she fought like a–like Sandra. Like the woman he’d dreamed about. In the midst of his terror, they looked just like the team he’d made his film about. His fear got the best of him, he ran, hiding with his prop master, but when he took a glance over his hiding spot, he was mesmerized by the blonde women, fighting like a tiger, and she was calling his name.

“ _RIP!”_

No, his name was Phil, not Rip. That wasn’t right. Then the sirens came, and he moved out to get to his film, and–his eyes caught hers as she fled, and his world went sideways for a bit. She eyes held so much emotion, certainty, anger, regret–and something else he couldn’t name. Something similar to the feeling of _almost_. Almost what?

That he didn’t know, but before he could think about it he was being arrested and the thought of the mysterious blonde women was driven from his mind.


	2. Death is a Close Friend

Prompt: Time Canary and hurt comfort after bringing Rip back to normal? Pretty please? :)

 

\- -

Death is a Close Friend

\- -

He killed her.

The odd part about being brainwashed, about having your emotions twisted and manipulated until all of your compassion, friendship, loyalty, hope–all the good parts of you turned off–is that you know what you’re doing, you remember it, but the part of you that never, ever would, is just… _gone_.

The Legion left his memories, but they’d taken the important bits. They’d taken the _feelings._

When he’d shot Sara, his body moved of it’s own accord, like it knew that she was hurt, and reached out to touch her face, like it had done before, but his mind couldn’t correlate the connection. Why did his muscle memory need to do that? He’d meant to shoot her in the heart, instead he’d shot her in the side.

He’d snapped her neck too. That he knew. She should have been dead. He, of all people, knew the limitations of Gideon’s abilities. She couldn’t bring back the dead, not if he’d done the job properly.

But he had done it. He’d done it and felt nothing. He’s body may have betrayed him, but his poisoned mind had done it’s best to betray everything he cared about, to hurt everyone he lo–

“Rip?”

Rip was in med bay. Since the recovery of his full faculties, and a near miss with the Legion upon his escape, he had demanded the team hold him in a cell. He couldn’t be trusted. But Sara had put her foot down, he was going to med bay to get a full evaluation. Most of the team had not been in favor of that decision, as he’d tried to kill most of them. He especially understood Jax’s mistrust. He’d killed Sara right in front of him. He deserved to be in a cell.

“Rip?” Sara’s voice said again, and he turned his face to her. She’d compromised with the team by having him restrained to his bed, but judging by the distaste on her face as she eyed them she wasn’t too happy with the idea. “How are you feeling?”

Feeling. It was nice to feel again, even if all of those feelings were pain and regret. “I am quite alright, Miss Lance.”

“Miss Lance is it?” Sara said, her eyes amused. “Distancing yourself already?”

“Sara–,”

“Better,” She interjected, crossing her arms.

“ _Sara_ …” Rip said earnestly, “Please… _don’t.”_

Don’t what? Namely, forgive him. Don’t make jokes. Don’t make light. He couldn’t take it. He was to blame. He’d tried to get away with the piece of the spear, to protect it, to protect his crew, and like usual it had all gone wrong. Rip Hunter was many things, but he was beginning to believe that _failure_  was chief among them.

“Don’t what, Rip?” she said, prompting him to voice his thoughts.

“I am restrained for a reason, Sara.” He reminded her, his eyes drifted to her neck, then to the floor.

Sara said nothing for a moment, before addressing the Ship’s A.I. “Gideon, you ran full diagnostics of Captain Hunter?”

“Yes Miss Lance.”

“Full report please.” Sara said.

“Rip Hunter had sustained injuries from his escape, including two broken ribs, bruising to the left leg, and a hairline fracture to his left wrist. His cerebral scan indicates no anomalies, it appears he is, in fact, back to normal.”

“Thank you Gideon.” Sara said.

“You’re welcome Miss Lance, and might I add it’s good to have Captain Hunter back with us.”

Sara smiled at Gideon’s last comment, looking down at Rip until he caught her eye. He was not amused.

“Sara–,”

“I know you’d like to wallow in your guilt for the rest of your life Rip, but the fact is that we need you. We need Rip Hunter. _I_  need you. And not–not because we’re on the hunt for the spear. Not because you know history better than our resident historian. But because–,” Sara paused, looking suddenly angry. She knelt beside him and quickly undid his restraints. She looked so fierce, he almost didn’t know what to do. But she reached out and touched his face.

“I don’t blame you Rip.” She said.

“You should.” His voice was rough, a tone she’d never heard from him. More than guilt, it was almost as though he was angry she _didn’t_  hate him. “You should. It was me Sara. I did it. I killed you.”

“Death is a close friend, Rip.” Sara said.

“Why are you still joking about this?” He said, sitting up abruptly, unaware of how close they were until he did. He paused, staring into her eyes, “If Gideon hadn’t–if they had been a few moments late–Sara–,”

She pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly. He was stiff with shock for several moments, before he felt his body move on instinct–once again betraying his mind. He pressed his face into her neck, wrapping his arms around her, almost breathing her in. She was alive. She had had so many near misses, he’d never expected one of them would be at his own hands. And when the rest of his mind had come back to him–the horror of his own actions had almost broken him entirely. But here she was–Sara Lance, once again back from the dead. Alive and well. He didn’t know how much he missed her. Her wry smile, her dry sense of humor, her heart, her moral code. He’d known she’d become captain in his wake, she was more of captain than he’d been when he _was_  aboard the ship–

Her hand ran through his hair causing an disruption to his train of thoughts. He was holding onto her so tightly, if she’d been anyone else, he might have worried he was hurting her. But this was Sara. And he needed the reassurance she was whole.

“Rip.” She said, her breath against his ear.

He pulled back slightly, gazing at her, drinking her in. “If you had died, Sara, if you hadn’t come back I–,”

She pressed her forehead against his, like he had done so long ago, when he was attempting to comfort her in the wake of her sister’s death. “But _I am_. I’m alive Rip.” She whispered.

That was enough for now. Maybe he could pull his pieces together, help his team find the spear, earn his redemption, but the fact that Sara was alive… by some miracle, breathing and here and taking lead, that was comfort enough. As long as Sara Lance was alive anything could happen.


	3. Heavy

Prompt: Time Canary first kiss set after this episode :D

 

 

\- -

Heavy

\- -

He was angry with her. It was wrong to be so amused by his anger, wasn’t it? But his anger, always carefully concealed with British stoicism until it suddenly burst forth like a battering ram, did amuse her now because he was pretty adorable when he was glowering at her. Sometimes his anger was sad, or downright frightening, but those times he was never angry at her or the crew, and he was getting better. Currently, he was tearing a small piece of his t shirt off to wrap around her injured leg, and that’s why he was angry.

“A stupid thing to do,” he muttered, tying it secure.

Sara rolled her eyes, “I’m fine, Rip.”

“You could bleed out before the crew has a chance to rescue us, all because you couldn’t wait _five_ minutes for backup, five minutes Sara!” He said, his eyes drilling a hole in her skull with the heat of his gaze.

“If I had waited, we would have lost the spear!” She said, knowing she was goading him but she didn’t care. Probably blood loss. Or happy to have him back, happy that he was talking to her without big guilty eyes that never quite met hers anymore.

“The spear isn’t worth your life, Sara.” He hissed, “Please do try to remember–” he stopped himself, unwilling to finish his sentence.

She narrowed her eyes at him, “Remember _what_ , Rip?”

He wouldn’t meet her eyes, he just pressed his hands on her thigh to help stop the bleeding, which was already seeping through his makeshift bandage.

“Rip.” Sara demanded. “If you’ve got something to say, say it.”

“You are not invincible, Sara, what do you think would happen to the crew if you didn’t come back? What it would put them through?” Something else was being left unsaid, she could tell by the way he wouldn’t look at her face.

“Oh I’m the one that thinks they’re invincible? I’m the one who runs ahead blinding without thinking about how everyone else would feel?” Sara snapped, now feeling less amused and matching his anger. “Have you any idea what it was like for me to pick up the pieces and take your place? To never be able to mourn you or process what happened because I had to keep everyone else together? Or can’t you see passed your own self loathing for a minute to see that someone might actually give a damn about you?”

He looked up at her surprised, “I didn’t–Sara I–this is different!”

“How exactly!”

“Because it’s you! I don’t know what I’d do if–,” He stopped abruptly, breathing hard and his gaze hard and full of emotion.

He didn’t finish his sentence but for the first time Sara could see exactly what he was feeling, what he kept carefully hidden away. Behind the guilt of a man who had nearly murdered his friend was something more. Someone who didn’t think he could care about anyone like that again, and was looking at her with anger and pain and fear and intensity. She didn’t want to give it a name, but she didn’t have too, it was the same feeling that had been brewing in her for a long time, long before his disappearance had caused her to notice them. Long before his reappearance, his memory loss, and the terror of him never truly coming back to them–to her.

She didn’t want to say anything, words didn’t really matter in that moment, and she was always better at show than tell. She leaned over and kissed him, hard and unrelenting, half-waiting for him to pull back, put his walls up. But he didn’t, he pressed into her, grabbing her face with his hands and deepening the kiss into something more passionate and heavy. Sara let out a soft moan, grasping at his jacket–she gasped at a sharp pain in her leg, making her pull back. Rip immediately detangled his hands from her hair and put them back on her leg, but his eyes were on hers, dark and soft. Suddenly they were bathed in light, the Waverider had come for them.

Sara gave him a look that told him they weren’t finished, and she was surprised by the mischievous grin he gave her in return.


	4. Stealing Time

Prompt: Time Canary + Secret Relationship :D

 

\- -

Stealing Time

\- -

Sara couldn’t remember the last time she’d _hid_  a relationship, even when she was with Nyssa, the whole league knew, even Ra’s though he wasn’t too happy about it. Wait, yes she did, it was Oliver and she was basically a kid. Before that was high school. Hiding whomever she happened to be making out with from her parents when they came home early.

But stealing looks and kisses with Rip, she had to admit, was sort of exhilarating. Hiding it from the team, sharing looks and teasing each other. She was pretty sure they weren’t fooling anyone. Probably no one assumed they were in a relationship, but they definitely knew _something_  was going on. They weren’t stupid.

It was really hard to care though, when he looked at her the way he did before he found her in the hallway and whisked her off to a dark corner of the Waverider. Of course, she returned the favor by making barely veiled and wildly inappropriate comments in the field. He’d give her an annoyed look, but he was hardly annoyed when she’d make good on her promises.

They told each other they were hiding it because they didn’t want to mess up team dynamics, but really she thought it was because they liked not sharing with the world. It was private, happy, simple, and _easy_. They didn’t have to explain it and they didn’t want to.

She was headed towards her room when an arm snaked its way around her waist and pulled her into the armory, and Rip’s lips landed on hers. She smiled against his mouth, pulling his jacket down off his shoulders and letting it slide to the floor. His hands were in her hair, then making their way to her waist, lifting her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around him and he braced her against the door, pulling away slightly to pepper kisses from her jawline and down to her neck, focusing on one spot on her collarbone that had her gasping. Rip Hunter was many things, among them was a fast learner. He knew all her favorite spots.

“If you think this makes up for being an ass–,” She had to gulp and bite her lip to keep from moaning at the way he was currently using his tongue, “earlier, _Captain–,_ ”

She could feel him grin, “I wouldn’t dare, _Captain_.”

They’d mostly shared the role of Captain since he was back, deferring to each other in their different strengths, but he’d challenged her today in a team meeting, and they’d had a fight about it in front of everyone.

“Would it help,” He said, pulling away to gaze at her, “If I said I was sorry?”

“It would,” Sara said, “Except you don’t mean it.”

“Fair enough.” He said, kissing her again.

Probably they’d argue again about missions and the like, but right now the way he felt pressed up against her had Sara sufficiently distracted for that night.


	5. Nightmares

_yes i got bored at work and yes i wrote a hurt/comfort angst fest and YES the terrible lack of time canary fic is an utter travesty i have taken it upon myself to correct i hate myself because i keep imagining this scenario and i’ve written it about four different times bye_

\- -

Nightmares

\- -

Rip was used to nightmares. He’d had them often since the death of his wife and son. In the dreams he’d always arrive just moments too late, even his subconscious refusing to let him forget his failure to save them. He’d wake up with the feeling of their blood on his hands as he cradled their lifeless bodies. Now though, these were a whole new kind of nightmare, this time _he_  was the killer. He was responsible for the death of his closest friend, Sara Lance. His mind would scream at his hands to stop, sometimes they pulled the trigger of a gun, other times they snapped Sara’s neck as though she were as fragile as porcelain. Sometimes it was just a horrifying amount of blood and the unbearable certainly that he was to blame.

Tonight, she screamed his name, a look of utter betrayal on her face as his steady hand raised his pistol and shot her. She asked him why, choking on blood and collapsing before him. He felt himself gain control over his body and rush to her–dropping to his knees and trying to stop the bleeding–but it was too late, blood was pouring from the wound. He watched, helpless, as the life left her eyes.

Rip shot up in a cold sweat, shaking and breathing hard. That, by far, had been the worst one yet. The way she’d looked at him, the way she’d asked him _why_ , _feeling_  her heart stop. Rip got out of bed, trying to ignore the tremor in his hands. He left his room to the most familiar, most comforting space on the ship. He needed a drink, and as he hadn’t yet succumbed to keeping scotch in his sleeping quarters, he’d have to go to his office to get it.

Upon his return to the ship, Rip had been touched to find that his office had been untouched. He knew they had used it, and by rights the office was Sara’s now, but she hadn’t left anything of her own and clearly hadn’t moved anything he’d left behind. Well, he smiled to himself, except that someone had helped themselves to his private stock. Not that he could blame her, because he suspected it was Sara, being the Captain of this ship was sometimes a three-tumblers-full-of-scotch to get through the night job.

He poured himself a glass, not paying much attention to what he was pouring, only that it was an unhealthy amount. He knocked it back, savoring the way the burn made him feel more real, warming him and he hoped it would calm his shaking hands.

He began to pout himself a second drink when the voice he’d been trying to purge from his mind said, “I’ll have a glass since apparently we both can’t sleep tonight.”

He didn’t turn to look at her, just brought out another glass and filled it for her, gritting his teeth as he spilled a little due to his hand twitching violently. He hoped she couldn’t tell he was still shivering as he held out the drink to her. He tried to ignore the way his heart stuttered as her fingertips grazed his when she took the glass from him.

“Why can’t you sleep?” Sara asked.

He took a sip and cleared his throat roughly, “Sleep eludes me more often than naught these days.”

“You look a little shaken up, Rip…” She said. He hated how soft and concerned her voice was.

“I’m quite alright, I assure you Sara.” He knew he wasn’t fooling anyone, sitting in his dimly lit office in the middle of the night, nursing his second glass of scotch.

Sara downed her drink and gave him a steely-eyed look. “You don’t have to lie… Not to me.” She paused before adding, “I have nightmares too, Rip.”

He looked up at her with surprise, “Am I that obvious?” He asked.

“I can recognize the signs, I’ve been through them.” She said, “I dreamed about the things the blood lust made me do every night for months after I got my mind back. When I left the league the first time, the nightmares were so bad I barely slept at all.”

Rip looked down at his glass, swirling the amber liquid inside. He took a shallow breath and said, “I used to dream about Miranda and Jonas… I never thought–I never thought anything could come nearly close to that, but–”

He trailed off, still not willing to meet her eyes. The Legion had emptied him of everything, he’d had no emotion, nothing. He had his memories, but everything that made him _Rip_ , his humanity, was snatched from him. He couldn’t rid himself of the horrible sensation. When his family died, he would have given anything not to feel. But he’d gotten closure, or as close to that as he could get, and had started to heal. He could remember the dear moments again, he could move forward. But to have that taken from him, to be forced to betray his new family, to hurt _Sara_. Not just hurt, he’d done his best to kill her and it was haunting him. Sara said nothing while he was overwhelmed with his thoughts, just reached out her hand to touch his shoulder. 

Now he looked up at her and said, “I shot you.”

It hurt her how much pain echoed through those words. She didn’t blame him, she of all people knew what it felt like to have your soul, your compassion, just shut off. She knew what it was like to lose yourself, to wake up with guilt and emptiness, with only the horror of what you’ve done.

“It gets better Rip.” She said. “You have to forgive yourself.”

“How can I? When I have nightmares about what I’ve done _every night_. To see you every day and know that I came close to losing you, _by my own hand_. If you had died, I would be responsible.”

Sara felt a surge of sympathy and horror. When she’d nearly killed Thea due to her blood lust, it had driven her halfway across the world trying to find a way to live with herself. She couldn’t imagine those nightmares and having to face the crew every day. She didn’t know what to say about the fact that his nightmares were solely about _her._

“Rip… I’m still here, I’m still alive… I’m _okay._ ” She whispered, her hand sliding up from his shoulder to touch his face. She leaned in closer, hesitating for a moment before kissing him tentatively.

Rip sunk into her, wrapping his arms around her like he was reassuring himself she truly was alright, chasing her lips and kissing her with desperation. She slid onto his lap, running her hands through his hair, feeling a shudder run through her as he pulled her flush against him. She wasn’t sure if this was just because he needed the comfort of her touch, to know she was in fact still alive, she wasn’t sure if in the morning either of them would regret it, she only knew that she’d missed him. The _real_  him. And she didn’t know how much until that night, and she didn’t want this to end.


	6. Interference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon decides to bring Rip home.

Prompt: ASSUMING YOU'VE SEEN THE LATEST LEGENDS OF TOMORROW! I so want to read a fic where Gideon starts meddling to get her two captains together. 

\- -

Interference

\- -

At first he thought it was the time storm that had messed with his navigational system. Crash landing in Belgium 2039 hadn’t precisely been ideal, but the technology was enough to get him back to the Waverider to check in with the crew. And Sara. His heart stopped at the sight of her, they’d been through some sort of fight, and she was bleeding from a cut on her forehead. After making sure everyone was fine, and a small scrap with Time Pirates, Rip silently slipped away again, feeling her eyes on him as he went.

He was beginning to suspect that she knew the real reason that he left, and it wasn’t just because he felt unneeded. He was, certainly, but he could have been useful on the ship. But he felt displaced, to have come face to face with the very real feelings growing for the woman who’d proven a better captain than he. It was the second time that had happened to him, and he desperately needed to physically run away from this problem.

Especially since the chances of those feelings being returned were less than zero. 

But the jump ship should be fully repaired, as an extension of the Waverider, it even had Gideon. He’d asked her over and over again, what was wrong with the navigation system.

“ _The Navigation System is fully functional, Captain._ ”

Was her only answer. He’d ordered full diagnostics, which came clear, he’d done some tinkering himself, though he didn’t have the full support of the Waverider and it’s tools he still knew that there didn’t seem to be anything _actually wrong_.

After the third time it had happened, literally landing _in the middle_  of a fight, and having to cram the entire crew into the ship and delivering safely, if a little smashed–no, very smashed, _Sara-he’d-been-trying-to-avoid-slamming-into-him-as-they-took-off_  smashed–back on to the Waverider, Rip literally started taking the navigation panel apart.

“ _Captain, I’m not sure I understand. The Jump Ship is fully functional._ ” Gideon said.

“Well, obviously _not_ , since it can’t seem to take my instructions.” Rip growled from underneath the control panel as he used a wrench, rather than for its actual use, to hammer at a particularly stubborn bit of welding. He was a professional Time Traveler, and he absolutely knew what he was doing, and he very much was not taking out his frustration on the navigation system.

“ _Captain I’m fairly certain that isn’t the intended use of a wrench.”_

“Well it’s how I’m bloody using it, alright, thank you Gideon.”

“Rip?”

He nearly dropped the wrench on his own face. Swearing slightly, he slid out from underneath the panel to see Sara staring down at him, head quirked to the side in curiosity.

He cleared his throat, “Sara?”

Sara crossed her arms, “I’m just gonna ask, because you look… a little manic, but what’re… what’re you doing?”

Rip sighed and sat up, reaching for a grease cloth to wipe his hands, if only to avoid the question for a moment. “Something’s wrong with the navigational system in the jump ship. I tried fixing it on my own but I don’t have all the tools I need at my disposal. I’ll be out of your way once I figure out the problem.”

Sara groaned, “Rip, I don’t understand where you’ve gotten this idea that you aren’t needed around here. You’ve saved our asses three times now.” Rip was about to tell her that he hadn’t meant to come swooping in, and that he knew they were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, but Sara continued, “Rip… please just stay. We want you here.”

Rip looked down at his hands again, there were a hundred things he wanted to say to her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “I can’t be here, Sara. I just–I can’t. Every time I set course for as far away in time as I can get–I end up wherever you are, and I’m–” He looked up at her briefly, that was a mistake, he dropped his gaze immediately, “Sara you have no idea how glad I am to have been there to help, despite the fact we both know you wouldn’t have needed it.”

“Why do you need to go so far away?” Sara said in a small voice.

Rip rubbed his face with his hand, this time when he looked up at her he was unprepared for the hurt look on her face, rather than the shock he’d seen there before, he couldn’t stand it. Maybe it was better to tell her the truth, he could leave in peace.

“I can’t watch you be Captain Sara. I can’t. You are without a doubt one of the best, if not the best, I’ve ever seen in that chair. Certainly better than me. You put your life on the line every day, and I can’t… I can’t be around–if you were hurt–” He sounded like an idiot, he knew he sounded like an idiot and very little of what he was saying were full sentences but he couldn’t stop rambling, “I could never ask you not to be who you are, to be Captain, but–Sara please understand–,”

“Do you know what it was like to wake up in a century before the thought of time or time travel even existed?” Sara interrupted, “To be in Salem, not knowing what happened to you or the ship, to return to find your message? Rip, we thought you were _dead_. We looked for you every where. Why is it different? Where do you get off–”

“It’s not the same!” Rip said, standing up, riled by her tone. “It’s not the same and you know it!”

“How? How is it not the same that I had to find you, only for you to not remember me, to have you taken and brainwashed and just leave?”

“Because I love you!” Rip said, “It’s different because I’ve fallen for you, Sara.”

There was an unbearable stretch of silence in which Sara had an unreadable expression on her face.

“It isn’t just that I can’t watch you make the hard decisions, knowing you could be hurt or d-die, it’s that I can’t be around you–its too hard.” Rip finished lamely, feeling angry with himself, “And it isn’t your problem, so I’m going to fix the jump ship and–,”

“Shut up.” Sara said.

“Excuse me?” Rip said.

“I said shut up,” Sara repeated, and she closed the distance between them, grabbing him by his grease stained t-shirt and pulling him down to kiss him. Rip responded without a moment’s hesitation. If this was his one chance to kiss Sara Lance, he was gonna take it. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet as she ran her hands through his hair, deepening the kiss. Sara was so fierce and tangible, like she had her very own gravitational pull. He spun around, bracing her against the command board, gripping her hips and pressing hard against her. Sara hooked one leg around him, leaning into his body and gasping softly as he broke away from her mouth to kiss her neck.

“ _Rip_ …” She whispered, pushing him back ever-so-slightly, resting her forehead on his. “I love you too.” He smiled at her, leaning forward to kiss her.

Sara pulled back again, this time looking serious, “You are not leaving this ship again, Captain’s orders.”

Rip grinned at her, “Yes, Captain.”

Sara laughed, kissing him again, then paused, “Wait a minute, did you say that the jump ship kept taking you to wherever I was?”

Rip wasn’t sure that was something to be of note when she was pressed flush against him, but he nodded, “Yes, but the navigational system is fine, I had Gideon triple check.”

“That’s odd, because _our_  navigation system has been dropping us in random spots too, not where we meant to go and always in the middle of trouble.” Sara said, “Jax has been in the engine room since the time storm trying to figure out what’s wrong.”

Now Rip pulled back, “Gideon?”

“ _Yes Captain?”_ Gideon responded.

“Full diagnostics on the Waverider.” He asked.

“ _The Waverider is fully functional, Captain. And, other than your tinkering, as is the jump ship.”_

“Then…” Sara said, eyebrows knitted together, “Why have we been landing in the same place?”

“ _That’s a different question Captain, I over rode the navigational controls before the ships landed.”_

“You _what_?” Rip said, “Gideon why on earth–how did you– _why_.”

“ _The ship has two Captains, and one of my Captains wasn’t aboard the ship._ ” Gideon replied as if this were obvious.

“Well she has a point.” Sara agreed.

“I–wh–this–no she doesn’t, I–,”

Sara cut him off with a kiss.


	7. Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip and Sara play pool

Time Canary prompt: Rip and Sara playing pool.

\- -

Games

\- -

Nothing good happened in 1992, literally nothing worth noting, and there was no reason that time pirates should be hanging out in Seattle 1992, other than selling off future technology in the most innocuous time and place in history to avoid suspicion. Mick and Ray were doing reconnaissance, Amaya and Nate were on the ship on stand by, holding down the fort, Jax was doing repairs on the ship and Martin was standing over hovering.

Rip and Sara however were waiting for the buyer in a pool hall. This didn’t need the whole crew until the buy was supposed to go down. Rip and Sara fit the description of the buyers the most, and planned to discreetly take their place.

Sara was a shark, Rip watched her take on two suckers in the three hours they’d been waiting around, destroying them at the table and earning herself a nice little reward each time.

“Are you going to play at all?” Sara asked him, grinning and leaning on her pool cue.

“I’d be afraid to go against you, Sara.” Rip said, quirking an eyebrow.

“Come on, Rip, I’ll go easy on you.” Sara winked.

“Somehow I doubt that.” Rip said.

“Please?” Sara asked, “There isn’t anyone new in yet for me to play.”

“You mean for you to rip off.”

“Sure.” Sara shrugged. “Come on, it’ll be fun. I’ll even let you break.”

Rip gave her a calculating look, before heaving a sigh and grabbing a cue. “Alright, I suppose I can hang my pride for one round.”

“Yes!” Sara said.

Rip held his cue awkwardly in his hand, trying to position himself properly to break.

“Okay, no,” Sara interrupted, “I can’t watch you do this.” She came up beside him, close enough for their sides to touch and she readjusted his hands and position. “Now just… try to hit straight.”

“I’ll endeavor to do my best.” Rip said, and then he shot and broke. Three balls went soaring into holes. Rip stood, looking mildly surprised. “Oh!”

Sara raised her eyebrows at him.

“Beginner’s luck?” He offered, looking unsure.

“It’s still your turn.” Sara said, not looking like she believed him.

Rip broke, gave her a sly smile, then expertly leaned over the table and made his next shot. Two more into holes.

“You’re hustling me.” Sara said, appreciatively.

“You were asking for it.” Rip replied, making his next shot, successfully sending another into the hole he’d been aiming for. In fact, he made all his shots. All the way until the eight ball. He called his shot, lined it up and–Sara slid next to him, much closer than before, in fact he could feel her breathe on his next.

“Are you sure you can make that shot?” She murmured.

Rip turned to her, their faces were close, he smiled and made his shot. The eight ball bounced off the side and straight into the corner pocket.

“I’m quite sure, Sara.” He said.


	8. Better Circumstances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip doesn't want to kiss Sara, not like this.

Prompt: For Time Canary, I've seen that you watch New Girl so what if Rip and Sara are in some scenario where someone else (or Sara) suggests they kiss ~for the mission~ (or whatever reason) and Rip is weirdly reticent about it and Sara doesn't understand what's the big deal till she later presses him about this where he blurts out Not like this! Or similar to that <3 (aka rip doesn't want to kiss her and it mean nothing)

\- -

Better Circumstances

\- -

Nate was on comms, only Nate would come up with such a ridiculous suggestion. They were down one resident thief, Mick also wasn’t a very subtle man and this job required discretion however they thought it best to let him believe it was because he was injured. Nate was running point on guiding Rip and Sara through the mansion, to their goal and back to the party below. 

Sara and Rip had retrieved what they’d been looking for, a piece of a very important map, and were heading back to the party when Nate’s voice sounded in their ears.

“ _Uhhh, guys, you got company._ ”

Sara and Rip stopped, they’d been walking down a dark hallway towards the ballroom.

“Who?” Rip asked.

“ _Guards coming your way, they’re making their rounds early._ ”

“I’ll take them out.” Sara said.

“It’ll cause too much of a commotion, we’ve got to get out of here quietly.” Rip said.

“ _I know! Fake-out makeout guys!_ ”

“I–what– _what_?” Rip asked

“Kiss me.” Sara whispered, catching on more quickly.

“No!” Rip said, even he was surprised by how forceful he sounded. He wasn’t sure why he was adamantly against the idea. Actually no, he did know, he just wasn’t ready to admit it.

“Why not?” Sara said, raising her eyebrows.

“Well, I–,”

“ _Guys, incoming!_ ” Nate warned.

Sara grabbed Rip by the collar, pulling him forward and baking herself into the wall. Instead of moving toward her lips, Rip dipped his head to her neck, his mouth grazing her skin as they heard a shout.

“Oi! You two! What are you doing back here.”

Rip turned to the guards, adopting a dopey grin. “Sorry lads, just wanted to get away to somewhere… erm… _private_ … “

One of the guards snorted, the other rolled his eyes. “Get back to the party, both of you, next time we catch you in a private area we’ll toss you out before you can get your clothes back on.”

“Yes sir,” Rip said, taking Sara’s hand, who looked down and giggled as they stumbled away towards the party. Rip didn’t drop Sara’s hand until they left the building, telling himself it was to sell their ruse. They made their way to the ship in silence, and Rip hoped they could forget the whole thing.

He realized it was to much to wish for when Sara came to find him in his office.

“I have to say, I’ve never seen anyone quite so against kissing me. I’m trying not to feel offended.” She said.

“Sara,” Rip said, turning towards the scotch in his decanter, giving him a reason not to look at her. And he felt like this conversation would require alcohol. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Sara asked, she was grinning impishly at him, like the cat who caught the canary. “You can go ahead and pour me a glass as well.” She added.

Rip did so and handed it to her without looking over, taking a healthy gulp of his own. “Can’t I drink in peace?” He mumbled.

“Not around here.” Sara said. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“You didn’t really ask one,” Rip replied, looking over his glass at her.

“I did, I asked _don’t, what_?” Sara raised an eyebrow, “Don’t ask you _why_  you seem so horrified by the thought of kissing me?”

Rip sighed, “I’m not horrified by the thought of kissing you, Sara.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Sara said, she didn’t seem particularly angry with him, just curious. And he really didn’t want her to be.

“Sara…”

“ _Don’t_ …” She finished for him. “Come on, Rip… what the reason? Am I not your type? Taken a vow of chastity and haven’t told me? Are you worried you’re bad at it? Have you–,”

“Sara!” He overrode her, “I didn’t want to kiss you under such circumstances, that’s all!

Sara paused for a beat, a little surprised, “But there are circumstances you _have_  thought about kissing me?”

 _Ah bloody hell…_ He thought, he’d backed himself into a corner with that one. And now he’d hesitated too long in answering. “No.”

“What circumstances?” Sara said, sliding closer to him.

“I never said–,”

“What circumstances, Rip?” Sara said again, now very close to him, setting her now empty glass on his desk.

Rip looked down at her, the expression on his face became intense, setting his glass on the desk as well, not looking away from her. “ _When_  I kiss someone, Sara, I like it to mean something. Not to be the result of a mission gone awry.”

Sara’s eyes drifted down to his lips then back up to his eyes, “And what do I mean to you, Rip?”

His lips landed on hers, cupping her face with his hands. Sara grabbed at his shirt and pulled him closer, opening her mouth to his tongue. One of his hands tangled into her long blonde hair, the other found its way to her waist, sliding under her shirt and grazing along her skin. Sara let out a little gasp, he had her breathless after just one kiss, and she was chasing his mouth for more. She pushed him to the desk, he hands working on the buttons of his shirt.

“You’re right,” She mumbled against his lips, “These are much better circumstances.”


	9. Talk to Me

prompt: Sara is a natural flirt and is used to people reacting to her so mistakes Rip's aloofness for disinterest(and sometimes things just go over his head), meanwhile he thinks his feelings are Way Too Obvious while she doesn't mean anything by it and doesn't understand why she's mad at him, they are both frustrated because it seems their feelings are unrequited, aka classic miscommunication trope

\- -

Talk to Me

\- -

Trying to read through his exasperated English stoicism was without a doubt her least favorite past time at the moment. Sara was an assassin, trained to read expressions and body language even at it’s most subtle. Rip was another story entirely. Or maybe her own frustration was clouding her judgement. Maybe she was so annoyed that he seemed so disinterested that she couldn’t properly gauge his reactions.

Sure, she could be a flirt, so she could understand his initial dismissal of her intentions but she’d been pretty clear lately hadn’t she? There had been several times she’d almost grabbed him and thrown him against the wall to kiss him soundly. But she was afraid. She hated it. But she was absolutely afraid. How did you broach the subject of budding feelings when the person you’re falling for was widowed? Widowed and fought time itself to get them back? Somehow she didn’t think she should make the first move. So she flirted, dropped hints, and tried to be clear while respected the invisible line between them.

But he was clearly not interested so she’d just have to move on. She slammed her fist into the punching bag. She was a master at many martial arts, but nothing burned energy like boxing.

“Is there a reason you’re beating that bag into submission?” Amaya’s voice cut in.

Sara paused, wiping the sweat on her forehead with the back of her wrist. She turned to Amaya, holding up her gloved fists in position, “Wanna spar?” She asked.

Amaya smiled, “No, but that wasn’t my question.”

Sara turned back to her punching bag, “Just blowing off some steam.”

“Is steam code for something?” Amaya asked, “This doesn’t seem like a normal work out.”

Sara got a few shots in, grunting her acknowledgement that Amaya was still pressing for answers, but not particularly interested in giving them.

“Does this have something to do with Captain Hunter?”

Sara’s next punch went slightly off and her fist hit the side of the bag and didn’t make proper contact, it slid and she stumbled slightly off balance. Sara collected herself, sighed, and started taking off her gloves.

“Is that a yes?” Amaya continued.

“Amaya, I really really don’t want to talk about this.” Sara said, grabbing a towel off the rack nearby and wiping her face. 

Amaya was smiling a little wider now, “Ah, I thought so.”

“Don’t analyze me.” Sara glared at her, “I don’t need it.”

“Is it still considered analyzing if its obvious?” Amaya raised her eyebrows.

“Amaya–,”

“Why haven’t you told him how you feel?” Amaya asked.

Sara was seriously considering throwing one of her boxing gloves at Amaya’s head, but resisted the temptation, “If hypothetically I did have feelings for Rip, which I’m not saying I do because I don’t, but _if_  I did…” Sara looked down at her towel, “He’s not… He doesn’t… You weren’t here when we came aboard the ship at first, Amaya. Rip is… he lost his wife and son. He recruited us to help save them, and we failed.”

There was a stretch of silence, before Amaya let out a quiet, “Oh.”

“So, again, hypothetically, if I did have feelings for Rip… it’s not like I could just… make a move.”

Amaya let out a huff, “Enough with the hypothetical, I get it… but just… Sara, the way he looks at you… he doesn’t look at you like a friend, or a teacher, or a captain…”

Sara shook her head, she’d been looking for signs and hadn’t seen any. “I’m going to my room.” She said, moving passed Amaya and out of the training room. She hadn’t expected to meet Rip in the hallway however.

He looked distracted, gazing down at his feet until they’d nearly knocked into each other, “Sara!” He said, looking up at her surprised.

She grinned at him, “Penny for your thoughts Captain?” She was the only one who called him Captain anymore, and it never failed to make him shake his head.

“I’m not Captain anymore.” He reminded her, like he always did.

“You seem preoccupied, Captain.” She said, ignoring him.

“Preoccupied? Yes.” Rip said, smiling slightly at her persistence, “You could say that.”

“What’s on your mind?” Sara asked.

“Oh, nothing you need concern yourself with,” He assured her.

She looked a little like she might want to use him for target practice, but the expression left her face as quickly as it came. “Excuse me Rip.” She said brushing past.

Rip watched her leave, thinking how funny fate could be. The object of his thoughts appearing before him. He felt like an awkward schoolboy around her. And he was sure it couldn’t have escaped her notice. Ray and Nate had already seen fit to tease him about it.

And now somehow he was managing to make her angry with him all the time. He sighed. He needed a drink.

\- -

When Sara found Rip in the library, after a long shower and pacing around her room, she bristled with annoyance. The library was hers. She’d left his damn office, even after the second time he left, why was he in _her_  place drinking in here when _she_  needed it to get away from him?

Rip meanwhile, with glass full of scotch halfway to his lips, was surprised by not only her sudden presence but the glare she was settling on him. “Yes, Sara?”

“Why?”

Rip quirked his head at her, “Why….?”

“Never mind.” She said, turning to leave.

“Sara, wait!” Rip said, setting his glass down on the table, “Don’t go, I–Have I done something to make you angry with me?”

Sara turned to him, she had that calculating look on her face, one he knew was one she had when she was trying to read a mark. Finally, she said, “No, Rip. I’m not angry.”

“I don’t understand, you seem very cross. What did I do?” There was an earnestness in his voice that made Sara compose herself.

“I’m sorry, Rip, you haven’t done anything.” Sara said, crossing her arms over herself, “It’s… it’s my problem.”

“Talk to me.” He said.

Talking. That seemed to be the problem.

“Rip… I can’t.” _not with you_ … she thought. “I mean… you know… I’ve been clear and you’ve been… indifferent and it’s fine. I understand, but it’s–,”

“You’ve been–? I’ve been–?” Rip stuttered, looking utterly confused. “What?”

Sara blinked at him, “Come on, Rip. I couldn’t drop any clearer of a hint unless I jumped you in the hallway, but it’s fine, you clearly–,”

“Sara–stop–wait,” Rip said, looking shocked now, “Are you–are you trying to tell me that you–,”

Sara couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “Rip, what did you think I was hinting at while I was flirting with you all this time?”

Rip’s eyes glazed over for a moment, before he composed himself. “I… didn’t notice.”

Sara almost laughed, how ridiculous, “You didn’t _notice_  me making innuendos and fixing your coat, asking you to run away to Puerto Rico, drinks in your office, dropping hints about how well we work together, the touches, the jokes, none of that entered your mind as flirting?”

Rip gave a stunned shrug, “I thought–I mean I didn’t want to presume–I mean your normal disposition is quite–wait a minute… Are you meaning to tell me that you’ve been thinking that I’m indifferent?”

“Well, yeah.” Sara said.

“Dear lord, I thought I was the one being obvious.” Rip said quietly.

Now Sara was the one gaping, “What do you mean obvious?”

“Sara, I can hardly keep my words straight around you, every time you enter a room I knock something over. Nate and Ray have been taking bets on when I’d pluck up to courage to tell you how I feel.”

That was enough for Sara, and she did the one thing she’d been wanting to do for months. She grabbed jacket and pulled him in for a kiss. One she’d make sure made her feelings _perfectly_  clear.


	10. Time Out

prompt: Ripsara - the team is tired of them tiptoeing around their feelings to they lock them in a room to force them to talk things out

 

\- -

Time Out

\- -

It was actually Mick’s idea. Well, no what he actually suggested was that they needed to tear each others’ clothes off and if they didn’t soon he’d lock them in the cargo hold until they did because they were annoying the hell out of him. The comment came, while on his fourth beer, after a mission that led into a shouting match between Rip and Sara ended with Sara fuming in the library and Rip getting ready to leave again.

Nate however, seemed to think that’s exactly what they needed. “Mick’s right.”

“He’s what now?” Jax interjected.

“No seriously, I mean, we can all see it can’t we?” Nate said, “Maybe we should lock them in a room together–to force them to talk it out!” He added quickly, “Seriously, Rip’s gonna take off again and Sara’s gonna be angry, then he’ll come back and we’ll go through this all over again!”

“He’s right about that.” Amaya said, looking thoughtful, “So what do we do?”

“Well, genius over here has the right idea.” Jax said, “We lock them in a room. Though I don’t think the cargo hold is the right place.”

“I am a genius.” Mick said, taking a long pull from his beer.

“Sara’s in the library right?” Ray said, “You can’t lock the library, but the training room has a lock.”

“It also has a lot of weapons, which I don’t think is a good place to lock Sara when she’s angry.” Nate pointed out.

“Ah… yeah.” Ray said. “We could put them in the brig.”

“How do we get them in there though?” Jax asked.

“Rip’s old office?” Nate asked.

“It locks from the inside.” Ray said.

“That’s not that hard to get around,” Jax said, “I can keep it shut if we can get them in.”

“I have an idea… Jax do you still have that panic device you were working on the other day?” Amaya asked.

“Yeah.” He confirmed.

“Then here’s the plan.”

Mick finished his beer, thinking that they’d all be better off if they listened to him more often.

\- -

Sara was reading, she was attempting to at any rate. She was still too riled up and furious to do anything. She had just decided to go to the training room to punch out her frustration when Ray, out of breath, swung into the library.

“Sara–come–quick–,” He gasped.

“What happened?” She asked, going into Captain mode.

“Come–it’s–on the–brig–in–,” He cut off and gestured her to follow. Sara and Ray ran through the ship, toward the alarm blaring in the bridge. The rest of the crew met them just as they entered the bridge.

“It’s coming from Rip’s office!” Nate shouted over the alarm. Sara sought Rip’s eyes, seeing him as surprised as she felt, they both ran over to the office to search for the source of the noise. The thing was a giant mental contraption, sitting on Rip’s desk. Next to it was a bottle of Scotch and two glasses, and a note. That was curious. Just as Sara was about to reach out to the metal thing to see what it was, the noise stopped.

“Rip what–?” Sara started to ask, before she realized she was still angry at him and turned to ask someone else and saw that the door was shut. “What in the–,”

Sara walked over to the door and yanked at it, finding it locked from the outside. “What the hell is this?”

“I do believe it’s mutiny, Miss Lance.” Rip said, handing her a slip of paper when she turned to him.

_Kiss and make up. Enjoy the Scotch._

“This isn’t funny.” Sara’s fury was barely contained now.

“I’m not involved in this!” Rip said, “Ask your crew.”

“They were your crew first!” Sara snapped, not sure why that mattered, but she was angry and wanted something to lash out about. “Gideon!”

There was no answer.

“Gideon!” Sara said again. Still nothing.

“Gideon?” Rip asked, no answer either.

“Oh sure, Gideon doesn’t answer me twice, but feel free to try Rip, I’m sure it’ll work for you.” Sara said, angrily going back to the door and kicking it for good measure.

“Stop biting my head off!” Rip growled, “Take your anger out on someone else, perhaps those responsible!”

“Oh don’t worry, Rip Hunter, I have plenty anger to go around!” Sara said, “And you’re just as deserving of it as any of them!”

Rip refused to be baited by her, inside he grabbed the bottle of scotch and poured himself a drink. He downed it and poured himself another and sat down in his chair. “Go ahead and rage then, Captain, we’ve got all the time in the world apparently.”

Sara bristled at him. It was this nonchalant attitude that had her furious. He came and went as he pleased, risked his life, nearly died. Did he give a damn about anything? “Go fuck yourself Rip.” She hissed.

“I stand by my decision.” Rip said, his voice low, sitting up slightly, narrowing his eyes.

“You could have gotten yourself killed.” Sara said, “It was stupid and reckless!”

“I got what we needed, the mission went well, I don’t understand why–,”

“You should know better than anyone why I’m angry! If I’d done something similar while you were Captain you would have had the same reaction. We’re a team. We work together. We don’t go off on our own and–,”

“It was a calculated risk,” Rip interrupted, “If you can even call it a risk, if you’re angry because you think I’ve undermined you as Captain, then for _that_  I’m sorry, it wasn’t my intention, I just–,”

“I’m not angry about you undermining me, I’m angry that you were six inches from death and that doesn’t seem to faze you. If we hadn’t made it in time you would’ve had no backup, no help, no nothing. Gideon can’t bring back the dead!”

Rip poured Sara a drink, holding it out to her as a peace offering, “I’m sorry Sara.”

Sara glared at the drink for a moment then sighed. “I doubt that you mean it, but I’ll take the drink.”

She took it from his hands and took a healthy gulp. “You think they’ll let us out now?”

“I don’t know.” Rip said, “This is childish even for them.”

“Sometimes I feel like I’m a parent.” Sara mused, looking disdainfully at the note that had been cast aside.

“I know what you mean.” Rip said. “It’s fair less rewarding however.”

Sara mentally kicked herself. That was a poor analogy. “We miss you on the ship, Rip.” She paused, then corrected herself, “ _I_  miss you. It’s not the same without you.”

“You flatter me, Sara.” Rip smiled.

“I’m not trying to flatter you, I’m trying to be honest.” Sara said, “I don’t want you to leave.”

Rip looked down at the amber liquid in his glass. “Even when I’m stupid and reckless?”

Sara gave him a rueful smile, “Yeah, even then.”

“Sara, I…” Rip had a very odd expression on his face, “I am sorry. I forget sometimes that I’m not alone. That’s the real reason I left I think. Not because I thought I wasn’t needed, though I know I’m not, I’m sure I could have found a place. Once I saw you as Captain, and how _well_  you wear that title, it was easy for me to… fade out. Its not much of an excuse but… its hard for me to be among–well to remember that–and well…”

“What are you trying to say Rip?” Sara asked, gently.

Rip gaze was even and straight forward, as though he’d come to a decision, “I didn’t know that I’d fallen for you until it was too late. I woke up to myself and found that I’d done my best to murder you. I couldn’t live with myself. I couldn’t bring myself to stay amongst the family that you’d made, knowing that you’d all saved me after… after everything. I keep coming back.” He smiled, “I can’t seem to help it.”

Sara hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath, “You–you could have told me then.” She whispered.

“Then, now, there’s no difference.” Rip shrugged, looking away, “I know it’s not mutual so I–,”

“Who on earth said you get to decide that?” Sara said, cutting him off.

Rip glanced up, resigned, “Am I wrong?”

Sara set her glass on his desk, “Yes you’re wrong. Rip you waltz through life deciding things all on your own and you forget people care about you to the point sometimes I want to punch you. Why is it so hard for you to believe that I–I love you.”

Rip stood, his hand reaching out to cup her cheek, leaning down towards her lips. Sara’s hand slid around his neck, she could feel his breath as he came closer–

“Sara? Rip?” Martin’s voice called, “I’m letting you out! Jefferson just told me what they did, what _childish_  antics, hold on–”

“Rain check?” Sara whispered.

“Oh, yes.” Rip promised. “First I think we should deal with the crew.”

“Agreed.”


End file.
